Improvement in construction of railways



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TH GRAPH l0 COPMOTO LITH.39 8: 41 PARK PLCE,N.Y.

THEODORE YATES, OF MILVAUKEE, VISCONSIN.

A[NlFROVEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS.

Speeilication forming part of Letters Patent No. @5.552, dated December 20, 1854.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'ri-inononn YATEs, of the city and county of Milwaukee, inthe State ofWisconsin, have invented aeertain new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Railways; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying' drawings, making part of this specification, in Which- Figure l is a top view or a railway constructed upon my improved plan. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig.3 is a transverse section in the line x a'. Fig. 4L is a detached perspective view illustrating the manner of securing the rail and sub-rail to the ties at the joints.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to a railway in which the com mon Trails are so applied and secured to sub-rails or longitudinal sleepers resting upon the ties that the track is rendered more iir.n and durable and less liable to derangement than when laid in the ordinary manner, as will be hereinafter fully explained.

In order that others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may be enabled to fully understand and use the saine, I will proceed to describe it.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent the iron rails, which may be constructed in customary manner. B B are wooden subrails or longitudinal sleepers, upon which the iails A are fastened by hook-headed bolts a, and which, at points between thejoints ofthe rails A, are securely fastened to the ties G by bolts, the sub-rails B being made of wood and of such size and shape as experience and locality may dictate. The rails A are placed upon the Wooden sub rails with the joints of the former between those of the latter, in order that the rails A shall afford as irm a bearing at each joint as the intervening parts. It is apparent that the breaking of the joints in this way prevents the damage which occurs when the rails are supported directly upon the ties, or when the joints ofthe wooden sub-rails occur at the same points as those of the iron rails, this damage being the result of the depression of the ends of the rails upon which the cars are supported and the striking of the wheels against the ends of the adjacent rails, which are left exposed by the depression above referred to.

The repeated striking ofthe wheels against the ends ofthe rails, in the manner above alluded to, seriously impairs the wheels themselves, and splinters the ends of the rails until they are rendered totally useless, and a replacing ofthe sections becomes necessary.

To prevent the ends of the rails from being struck by the passing car-wheels, chairs otl various kinds have been devised; but even when these are applied the rails will spring and draw the bolts or break, except the sub rails be employed in the manner I have described.

To secure the iron and wooden rails A B to the ties C at thejoints of said iron rails, and protect the sub-rails beneath said joints, I have devised a clamp, D, of peculiar construction. This clamp is formed in one piece of strong sheet or plate metal, and, embracing the top and sides ofthe sub-rail, is fastened to the tie beneath thejoint of the rails A by bolts (l, or otherwise.

The clamp D is formed with iian'ges d,which, at each side of the joint a and upon each side of the rails, are bent overthe lianged base of each of the latter, so. as to firmly connect them to the sub-rail B, uponwhich they rest. This method of securing the rails and sub-rails to the ties is at once simple, effectual, and attended with little expense.

The employment of the sub-rails B does not add to the expense of the track, as it is unnecessary to use in connection with them the large number of ties required when the rails rest directly upon the latter.

If one tie or more should sink in the ground when it is soft and yielding, the rails above such tie or ties are not subjected to undue strain, nor liable to break in frosty weather, inasmuch as the sub-rails B serve to distribute the weight of the passing train to the adjoining ties. No accidentcanresultfrom the breaking of a rail laid according to my improved plan, for the reason that the sub-rails afford a irrn bearing at all points, and the bolts a are located at such distance asunder as to retain the rail in place after the occurrence of the break. Other advantages are derived from the application of my invention, but it is needless to mention them in detail.

It may be here remarked that the sub-rails Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the T-ral A, Wooden sub-rails or longitudinal sleepers B, and the clamps or chairs D, or their several equivalents, arranged and employed substantially' in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth. 5

2. The clamp D, constructed in one piece, as described, and employed in the described combination with the longitudinal sub-rails B, to secure the iron rails at their joints and protect the wooden sub-rails beneath said joints, as set forth.

THEO. YATES.

Witnesses:

E. B. WoLoo'rT, C. F. WILEY. 

